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Alex Hales produced the innings of a lifetime with a virtuoso performance as Notts Outlaw's beat Surrey at Lord's to lift the Royal London One Day Cup.

The England hit 187 off 167 balls in Notts' total of 298 for six as they won by four wickets with 2.1 overs to spare in what was effectively two man two man chase.

Eclipsing his 171 for England against Pakistan last year, it was his career best score, the highest List A score on the ground and the highest score in a one day final.

In the context of the occasion and with the entirety of his team's hopes – and that of 3,500 plus Notts fans – resting on his shoulders, this was a thing of beauty.

Chris Read ensured this was not a one man batting effort with 58 off 56 balls in his last final at the home of cricket before he retires at the end of the season, passing 5,000 one day runs for the club in the process. A true captain's innings.

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As so often been the case in the last 19 years, it was Read who rode to the rescue when Hales needed support.

The pair put on 137 in 20.4 overs for the sixth wicket to seal the trophy for the second time in four years.

For Surrey, who made 297 for nine, this was a third consecutive final defeat. For Ollie Pope it must have been torture.

It might have all been so different had Pope not dropped Hales on nine when he put down a simple chance in the covers.

How heavily each run must have weighed on him as Hales played immaculately thereafter.

Chris Read lifts the Royal London One Day Cup

A confidence player, it is clear Hales is in form when driving well off the front foot and as he crashed the ball through the covers, or punched it crisply down the ground it was increasingly clear this was a special innings.

No one could stick with him though as only Brendan Taylor reached double figures in the rest of the top six, although Steven Mullaney was the victim of a horrible leg before decision that cost him his wicket for five.

It was a far from perfect final in terms of quality. Notts were sloppy in the field but they were largely rescued by Samit Patel, with three for 51, and Steven Mullaney – two for 50 – with the ball, as they played a part in six of the nine Surrey wickets.

Mullaney had been one of the guilty parties in the field as he dropped Mark Stoneman on 32. Stoneman would carry his bat for 144, leaving him two short of Geoffrey Boycott's 52-year-old record score in a final.

Hales, who reached his hundred off 84 balls, would soon smash that record.

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The chase featured three contentious lbw decisions, with opener Michael Lumb going for four and number three Riki Wessels for six, Ravi Rampaul getting Wessels in his first over.

Umpires Alex Wharf and Tim Robinson were vindicated by replays on those decisions, however, Wharf was offered no such comforts for a shocking decision to dismiss Mullaney later in the piece.

Notts slipped to 104 for three when Patel played an awful pull to fine leg off Ravi Rampaul, gifting Sam Curran a simple catch.

It was the kind of shot that was entirely out of character from the batsman this season, but it was an all too familiar, frustrating sight of years gone by.

Hales brought up his 50 off 35 balls featuring eight fours and a six. He was in dire need of support but no one could provide it.

Alex Hales reaches his century (Image: Getty)

Taylor went for 11 to Jade Dernbach, caught behind when targeting third man and, as Hales reached his brilliant century, Mullaney was adjudged lbw for five when replays showed he hit the ball.

Notts were in massive trouble at that point, but Read and Hales turned the game. Read would have wanted to be there at the end, but he holed out with 11 needed.

'You've lost that loving feeling' rang out in the sun as Notts moved to within one hit.

James Pattinson, who made nine, hit the winning single as Hales carried his bat, hitting 20 fours and four sixes.

Earlier Surrey won the toss. A disastrous start for Notts followed – and a poor fielding effort in general - as Wessels dropped Jason Roy at first slip off the very first ball of the match, before Mullaney put Stoneman down at cover.

Patel took a wicket with his first ball when Roy got a leading edge and Mullaney took a straightforward catch.

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Kummar Sangakkara was the wicket Notts wanted above all others and Mullaney got it when the Sri Lankan great feathered an edge behind on 30 as Read took a fine catch.

Surrey slipped from 172 for two to 180 for five in eight balls when Patel had Scott Borthwick caught by Mullaney for 14.

Mullaney bowled the dangerous Ben Foakes for one and then he took a smart catch as first slip as Patel got Pope for four.

Stoneman and Sam Curran added 48 for the sixth wicket until Pattinson (one for 48) was too quick for the latter, bowling him for 24.

Older brother Tom Curran was run out for 16 after a terrible mix-up saw him and Gareth Batty was bowled by Luke Fletcher (one for 37) for 11.

Harry Gurney (one for 47) bowled a final over in which one delivery was wider than Steve Harmison's notorious delivery in the Ashes as it went for five wides. However, he got the wicket of Dernbach for five with the penultimate ball.